Arab Gulf states are reporting new missile and drone attacks after Tehran threatened to widen its campaign and called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates. As the war entered its third week, Iran said the United States had attacked Kharg Island, crucial to Iran's oil sector, from the UAE, which denied the accusation. President Donald Trump has said the U.S. destroyed military sites on Kharg Island and warned that its oil infrastructure could be next. Trump has said he hopes other countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe."
Iran targeted the world’s busiest international airport Wednesday and attacked commercial ships as U.S. and Israeli strikes rocked Tehran, while the United Nations’ most powerful body demanded a halt to the Islamic Republic’s strikes on its Gulf neighbors that threaten global oil supplies. The latest attacks marked an escalation in Iran’s campaign aimed at generating enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel to end the war that started 12 days ago. But there were no signs that the conflict was subsiding. On Thursday, an Iranian attack sparked a major fire on an island that's home to Bahrain’s international airport. Also, an attack on Iraq’s Basra port killed one person and forced a halt to operations at oil terminals.
Governments are working on plans to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil choke point. The Iran war has effectively closed the waterway and pushed up gasoline prices. French President Emmanuel Macron is leading an international effort to reopen the waterway “when circumstances permit.” Retired naval officers say that using warships to escort tankers would make no sense during active combat. They say ships have little room in the waterway to evade attacks. Navies have recent escort experience in the Red Sea against Houthi drones and missiles. Experts say Hormuz poses far higher risks. Iran has missiles, drones, fast boats and naval mines. Insurers also drive decisions. Premiums for ships wanting to use the strait have surged.
Oil prices are up swinging wildly as the widening Iran war disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting how important the passageway is to the world’s oil supply. The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes. Tankers traveling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carry oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran. Most of that oil goes to Asia. Any disruption to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is highly disruptive to the oil trade.
The U.S. says it took out more than a dozen mine-laying Iranian vessels, and the Islamic Republic vowed to block the region’s oil exports, saying it would not allow “even a single liter” to be shipped to its enemies. As concerns grew Tuesday about the war’s effect on a strategic waterway, the American military said it destroyed 16 minelayers, though President Donald Trump said in social media posts that there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil is shipped. The American military released the figure, along with unclassified footage of some of the vessels.
A crowded bus in Nepal has crashed off a mountain highway, killing 19 people including a British national. Police say the bus drove off the Prithvi highway after midnight on Monday. It rolled down a slope and landed on the bank of the Trishuli river. Rescuers were able to reach the site soon after the crash. They pulled injured passengers from the wreckage and sent them to hospitals. About 25 people were hurt, a Chinese national and a woman from New Zealand, and police were investigating the cause. Nepal sees frequent deadly bus crashes, in large part because of poor roads and poorly maintained vehicles.
Iran has announced the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz for live fire military drills. The rare show of force came as its negotiators held another round of indirect talks with the United States over its disputed nuclear program. It was the first time Iran has announced the closure of the key international waterway since the U.S. began threatening Iran and rushing military assets to the region. Iran's foreign minister expressed optimism about Tuesday's talks. U.S. Vice President JD Vance was more circumspect, saying, “In some ways, it went well,” but noting it was clear that wide gaps remained. The two sides are expected to hold more negotiations in two weeks.
Iran says it temporarily closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most crucial shipping lanes, for a military drill and missile test. The narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the outside world is the route for a fifth of the world's oil supplies. The extent and impact of Tuesday's closure were not immediately clear, though Iranian media said it would last for several hours. The closure was a signal from Iran of the potential fallout if the United States goes through with threats to attack.